D.C. Cab (1983)
I’m kicking this volume with comedy as we step back to 1983 to talk about a little forgotten comedy about a ragtag group of streetwise cab drivers in Washington D.C. working for a rundown taxi company in Joel Schumacher’s D.C. Cab starring Max Gail, Mr. T, Gary Busey, Marsha Warfield, Charlie Barnett, Adam Baldwin, and Paul Rodriguez.
Now some movies you certainly want to be in the mood for and I would say D.C Cab is hands down one of them. It’s a likable blend of comedic chaos and hijinks, the lighthearted silliness, and that ragtag cast of characters make it all a good time if you let it. They don’t really make movies like this anymore and some would argue that’s a good thing but there is a feel-good nature that works well in the favor of this film’s entertainment value. Sure, the performances are far from perfect but the chemistry between this eccentric cast does feel surprisingly natural. It’s all mindless, and at times crude, and frequently juvenile but that’s the point and as the plot gets into motion and the humorous antics ramp up the fun does as well as D.C. Cab delivers peak early 80s nostalgia with its style, its personas, its music, and its relentlessly absurd energy.
The Bedroom Window (1987)
We’re stepping into the world of mystery, suspense and romance for my next forgotten pick about a young executive who starts an affair with his boss’s wife, lies for her when she witnesses a crime and surprisingly enough finds his life falling apart after in 1987s The Bedroom Window starring Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, and Isabelle Huppert from director Curtis Hanson.
The Bedroom Window is a film that certainly has been forgotten over time. It’s far from a flashy movie and it is lacking A-List star power that these genre films often rely on. However, Guttenberg is a legend, and he delivers a fantastic multi-layered performance as a guy that gets caught up in lust and begins making increasingly dangerous decisions. This triangle of love and deception weaves a surprisingly compelling mystery that evolves smoothly along the tight pace. In addition to Guttenberg, both Isabelle Huppert and Elizabeth McGovern deliver strong performances to breathe life into their characters so there is a likable core group of characters. The plot has a smooth progression. It’s layered just enough to engage your imagination and despite some of the familiarities in the plot beats, the moody and foreboding atmosphere The Bedroom Window delivers makes it a competently crafted mystery thriller that can keep you on edge.
North Shore (1987)
This next movie is set in paradise and follows a young surfer with dreams of going pro who ventures out to Hawaii to surf the big waves and while doing so he falls in love and finds a challenge like no other in 1987s North Shore from director William Phelps, starring Matt Adler, Gregory Harrison, Nia Peeples, and John Philbin.
Those familiar with my channel will know this movie really isn’t that forgotten. I recently did a retrospective video on North Shore, and I always find a way to work it into a list somewhere. This isn’t a perfect film, it’s a riff on The Karate Kid with surfing swapped in but it’s still a charming little, indie budget movie that delivers big budget surfing action throughout. The story is a familiar journey but it’s still a great time and with the tropical locations, just enough subplots, and young love paired with competition at the core, there are plenty of quality elements that make this an easily engaging film. The performances aren’t perfect, but Adler and Harrison sell the mentor/student angle, Adler and Peeples sell the young romance, and Adler and Philbin sell the new friendship needed to make this film work and whether out on the waves or working through its recycled story layers this movie is the definition of underrated.
Thrashin’ (1986)
We’re jumping back a year and switching from surfing to skateboarding for this next little indie movie about a young man who travels to Los Angeles for the summer to compete in the high stakes LA Massacre and while out there he will cross a rival gang and fund summer love in 1986s Thrashin starring Josh Brolin, Pamela Gidley, and Robert Rusler from director David Winters.
This movie runs very parallel to North Shore as a sports movie that features big bad competition and endearing summer love. Here Brolin is able to carry the pace of this routine story progression, and despite the flawed performances and cheesy melodrama Thrashin’ is able to thrive on its punk infused musical scoring, and killer skateboarding action. Professional skaters were brought in as extras and it gives this movie more than enough visually appealing action. Plus, the young summer romance at the core is delightfully cheesy but still plenty sincere. Robert Rusler comes in to give the movie a great bad guy and with everything going on in this film the pace is super swift. The skating action ramps up with intensity from the bowl sequence to the nighttime chase through LA, to the Ramp Locals ripping down Hollywood Blvd, the action is front loaded with intensity that all culminates in the LA Massacre that to this day it still one of the best closings in 80s and 90s sports movies.
Hiding Out (1987)
Coming up next is a humorous comedy about a stock broker who is on the run from the mob. So, to lay low he, in true 80s cinema fashion, enrolls as a student in high school, which naturally brings about problems of its own in Hiding Out from 1987 directed by Bob Giraldi starring Jon Cryer, Keith Coogan, Annabeth Gish.
Hiding Out is certainly a product of its time in Hollywood during the late 80s where the subgenre of the Generation Squeeze would take flame with films like Big and Like Father, Like Son where adult and teenage or adolescent themes would collide and Jon Cryer posing as a high school student so he won’t get killed by the mob is another example of how this short lived subgenre could deliver effective laughs and more than enough charm. Hiding Out isn’t a hilarious film and outside its focal premise it’s not overly unique. Yet it works through the cliches with a skilled touch and while it is going through the teen high school dramedy motions this film can still be an enjoyable ride of nostalgia fueled by vibrant 80s music and surface level emotional storytelling. Cryer is solid in the role, he doesn’t steal the show, but he has many comical moments, he looks young-ish, and he’s easily able to scale down to the high school juvenility to sell the plot just enough to have fun with. And with supporting performances from Keith Coogan and Annabeth Gish, and endless silliness, Hiding Out is a charming relic of cinema’s past.
Nine ½ Weeks (1986)
Fatal Attraction is known for kicking off the genre of the erotic thriller, but a year prior Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger gave it a shot in a flawed but entertaining film about an art gallery worker who ignites an intense affair with a mysterious Wall Street broker in Adrian Lyne’s Nine ½ Weeks from 1886, also starring Margaret Whitton, David Margulies and Christine Baranski.
For the most part what Nine ½ Weeks delivers is standard erotic-thriller flare. It’s a stylish film from the settings to the production design, to the atmosphere in Lyne’s direction. There’s an erotic ambience to this film that fits the mood of this charged meeting of two sexy humans who proceed to have varying levels of fetish fueled sex with a strong current of domination, and infatuated lust. Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke are more than convincing in these roles, their chemistry is certainly undeniable, and they sell the buffet of sexual exploits with ease which is what you want in this genre. Nine ½ Weeks never reached the same level of global attention as films such as Fatal attraction or Basic Instinct but this plot fueled by desire is able to explore its characters more than enough to pair with the steamy sex scenes to make this film one of the all-time great erotic thrillers with a dynamic duo in the lead.
Hot to Trot (1988)
This next movie would seem like a relic of the past, but they actually still use this comedic formula today when a fledgling stock broker buddies up with a talking horse who becomes his financial advisor leading him to instant success in the often forgotten Hot to Trot from 1988 starring Bobcat Goldthwaite, Dabney Coleman, Virginia Madsen, and John Candy as the voice of Don the talking horse.
Much of what I said about D.C. Cab can also apply to Hot to Trot, this is a ridiculously juvenile comedy with splashes of wittiness. It’s also a film you need to be in the mood for and Bobcat Goldthwaite needs to be your cup of tea. If so, then this fast-paced little comedy can certainly entertain as Goldthwaite delivers easily his most well-rounded performance. It’s mindless without question, with waves of dumb jokes and frequent horse related sight gags but the procedural progression keeps things moving so nothing wears out its welcome. And sometimes a movie like this is perfect for escaping the seriousness of life. The plot has just enough substance to connect the comedy and the supporting cast is able to assist in carrying the runtime with Goldthwaite. Dabney Coleman’s humorous and knows exactly what this movie is, as does Virginia Madsen, and John Candy as the voice of the horse who easily steals the show while still carrying a capable chemistry with Goldthwaite to make this movie a lighthearted ride of brainless humor.
Fear City (1984)
For this next movie we’re stepping back into the genre of the erotic thriller and adding serial killer on the loose who is being hunted by a mob connected nightclub promoter and a relentless detective in Abel Ferrara’s neo-noir thriller Fear City from 1984 starring Tom Berenger, Billy Dee Williams, Melanie Griffith, Rae Dawn Chong, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Jack Scalia.
What I love most about Fear City is its seedy and ominous atmosphere and the sleek direction from Ferrara. This is a foreboding film that weaves a competently compelling narrative as two men with different lives track a sadistic serial killer. Now this movie may not be for all tastes. It’s gratuitous both with its violence and with its nudity but it all does fit effectively within the tone of the source material to elevate the story. The cast is solid as well. Tom Berenger is great as a mob connected nightclub promoter trying to catch this guy who’s killing strippers and Billy Dee Williams kicks as well. His character, a gruff detective on the case, is one we’ve seen before but with Williams there’s a style and smoothness to this role that makes the character his own. You can easily invest in their mission to catch this killer and Fear City is a film that can lure you in and have you on edge before you know it.
Wisdom (1986)
Next up I have a forgotten little drama that at the time of its release was sort of a spin on Bonnie & Clyde as it follows a young couple in love who set out on a cross-country road trip that turns into a bank robbing spree but not to steal money, instead they destroy bank records in order to aid farmers in 1986s Wisdom written, directed by, and starring Emilio Estevez, as well as Demi Moore, and Tom Skerritt.
This movie was the directorial debut of Emilio Estevez and overall, the movie was crushed pretty hard by critics who had major issues with the story layering and progression. But I think the movie has aged relatively well over time and I think Wisdom is still an entertaining experience. I can admit the character depth and their growth is lacking, and the closing is a bit anticlimactic, but I can appreciate Estevez for trying to do something different inside the couple-on-the-run formula. Plus, Estevez and Moore bring plenty of chemistry to their roles. They were a couple at the time and the connection between them is perfect for the needs of this story. The pacing does have some issues, but long stretches are more than intriguing enough to capture your imagination and have you invested in the mission of these two young characters and had the finale been a bit more creative and not considered a letdown this movie would be more well regarded.
Let it Ride (1989)
This next movie is another strong comedy that went relatively forgotten after its release. It follows a normally unlucky gambler that suddenly experiences a day of success as he wins every bet he places at the horse track in 1989s Let it Ride from director Joe Pytka. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Jennifer Tilly, Terry Garr, and David Johansen.
This is another of those comedies that may not be to everyone’s taste. It’s not an overly clever or witty film in terms of laughs. But there is a capable sense of humor in the writing, and the charismatic, high-energy performance from Dreyfus does carry the runtime if you like rough personalities and blunt comedy. Dreyfuss is humorous as a cab driver that suddenly hits his lucky streak and decides to let it right and the (will he or won’t he) dynamic to him making it out of the film with any money does have its spots of fun. Dreyfuss isn’t overly likable but he’s not a complete schmuck in this movie. He’s his own worst enemy and his day at the races in this movie is a comedy of errors with a revolving door or charmingly eccentric side characters. Let it Ride isn’t a blow you away comedy but it’s silly and lighthearted in all the right ways to have a good time with.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
